Goodnews Abroad Syria: Aeham Ahmad "The pianist of Yarmouk": "Music helped me to clear my trauma."

Katja Staschewski speaks to Aeham Ahmad (32 years old), who became famous after playing his piano in the rubble of Syria's Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus. He is a member of the Palestinian minority in Syria. His father, a blind music instrument builder, fostered his musical talent from an early age. Due to the injury by a piece of shrapnel in his right hand a career as a classical concert pianist will likely remain closed for him. But he continued playing music risking his life to transmit a little hope and joy through playing music to the people. For weeks he wheeled his piano on a trolley out into the middle of the ruins, helped by his friends and his students, who sometimes joined in with song.

There, among the ruins, he and his out-of-tune piano sang of his despair. His street concerts were filmed and posted on YouTube, and his story of trying to bring a bit of joy against the backdrop of a war zone went viral. In 2015 an Islamic State-group jihadist killed one girl that was singing with him and burned his piano. Since this incident, his life was under serious threat. Aeham decided to seek asylum in Germany, where is living now. His music brings people together and serve as a bridge between cultures and religions. In 2016, Ahmad was granted asylum and managed to bring his family to Germany.

https://www.aeham-ahmad.com/en/

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